Master Your NG8 Upgrade with a Fully Customizable Support Solution

Staying on top of updates for mission-critical software, like your NextGen EHR, can be challenging for IT departments who lack proper support resources. Whether experiencing staffing shortages, limited budgets, or system transition pressures, additional upgrade support is often necessary. Yet, many support options offer a one-size-fits-all approach, potentially compromising organizational goals or provider needs.

With 24 years of NextGen upgrade experience, Med Tech Solutions (MTS) understands the need for a personalized upgrade solution that helps better manage complexity, reduce risk, and lower support costs. At any stage of the upgrade process, healthcare organizations should be able to count on a vendor partner that offers flexibility to choose the exact level of support needed. To achieve a seamless NextGen 8 upgrade, let’s take a closer look at four critical transition components, along with MTS support offerings that allow for a fully customizable path forward.

1. Pre-Upgrade Planning
   To facilitate a successful NextGen upgrade, healthcare organizations must begin with pre-upgrade planning. First, assemble a dedicated project team made up of IT professionals, clinical staff, and implementation leadership, assigning clear roles to each member. Organization’s contending with limited bandwidth may turn to a trusted vendor like MTS for additional project management resources, offering strategic guidance and upgrade oversight.

   Additionally, organizations must consider all additional NextGen tools and applications that may need to be upgraded, including those for various medical specialties. To do so, carry out an application inventory for full workload visibility. Expert MTS resources can assist in conducting a comprehensive gap analysis, supporting a tailored upgrade approach by identifying discrepancies between current workflows and NextGen 8 capabilities.

2. Testing and Validation
   Alongside pre-upgrade planning, healthcare organizations must also create a formal testing plan that is tailored to meet specific workflow objectives. First, establish a test environment, selecting a non-production database that isn’t being used for other projects. Based on gap analysis work, Med Tech Solutions can assist health facilities in testing current EHR templates and potentially create new customizations to align with the NG8 upgrade. Throughout this process, healthcare organization’s should maintain a detailed change log of all modifications in the test environment, including template updates, to ensure consistency when deploying in production. While testing is often a time-consuming process, partnering with Med Tech Solutions’ migration and testing support resources offers maximum efficiency, reduced downtime, and guaranteed on-time project completion.
3. Training and Documentation Support
   With any major EHR upgrade, prioritizing end-user training is essential for maximizing system utilization and ROI. To ensure adequate end user support, first assess internal IT team skill set and bandwidth, as there may be a shortage of experienced system trainers to prepare new NG8 users. Without proper support, novice user training may reduce organizational productivity. Engage super users early in the process to serve as internal champions and pillars of support. Additionally, an external support vendor, like Med Tech Solutions, can offer training resources that help accelerate end-user knowledge and adoption — assisting in creating hands-on training material, leading one-on-one education sessions, and/or managing the entire transition process. Be sure to continuously monitor system performance and user feedback to identify areas for improvement as well as provide ongoing system training post-live for maximum success.
4. Go-Live Preparedness and Continued System Support
   If go-live communication isn’t handled effectively, end-user frustrations can mount. Without a seamless transition, support may dwindle for future IT initiatives. Therefore, healthcare organizations must create a detailed go-live checklist for ultimate preparedness. A top checklist priority is to ensure data is backed up and secure before initiating the upgrade. Also, create an organization-wide go-live communication plan so all staff know what to expect during the transition time. For maximum staff satisfaction, healthcare facilities can choose to partner with Med Tech Solutions to set up a go-live command center specifically for NG8 support. MTS can also assist with workflow optimization/ standardization post-live.

When it comes to NG8 upgrades, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Your organization’s unique workflows, customizations, and specialty needs deserve a tailored approach throughout each upgrade phase. With Med Tech Solutions transparent pricing and expert support, healthcare organizations can achieve a seamless transition, regardless of the complexity or scope of your upgrade support needs. Contact MTS today to jumpstart your personalized strategic NG8 upgrade rollout.